Tulip acquires Easey holdings

Tulip has announced its acquisition of UK pig producer Easey Holdings, in a major investment in the British pig industry.

Tulip has reached an agreement of terms with the current owners of Easey Holdings Ltd and completed the acquisition on Friday September 8. It is seeking regulatory approval from the Competition & Markets Authority.

Easey Holdings Ltd is a family-owned pig farming operation consisting of four key divisions - breeding herds, growing herds, a veterinary practice and a livestock transport business.

Tulip said the acquisition represents an investment in British farming and also inward commitment to the UK by parent company Danish Crown - a cooperative owned by 7,600 Danish member farmers - thus further reinforcing the organisation’s commitment to global farming.

Andrew Saunders, agriculture director at Tulip's farming division, Tulip Agriculture, explained: “Customer demand is rising for pigmeat produced to high welfare standards supported by strong provenance credentials. This acquisition forms part of Tulip Ltd’s strategic objective to further support the UK pig farming industry, allowing us to more effectively utilise our skills and expertise, capitalising on our industry-leading best practices which have been developed by farmers, vets and other experts within the organisation”.

“We are pleased that the existing management team within Easey Holdings have agreed to remain in place which will ensure we are able to retain the business’ core family values and maintain stability for employees, farmers, suppliers and customers. Easey Holdings will continue to operate independently with all existing employees to be retained. Existing customer and supplier contracts and commitments will also be honoured.”

The UK is one of Danish Crown’s four 'home' markets and this latest investment demonstrates the company’s long term commitment to Tulip’s sustainable growth.

Jais Valeur, CEO at Danish Crown, said: “Tulip has now successfully completed its profit turnaround and is focusing on cementing the significant progress made during the last year and is planning for the future. This acquisition is in that context and is part of a range of measures designed to Brexit-proof the business.

“This announcement reflects the significant progress being made with Tulip’s new strategic direction, demonstrating the company’s core values - passion for food and passion for farming. I would like to welcome the Easey Holdings team to the family and look forward to working together to share knowledge and best practices as we reaffirm our commitment to best in class UK pig farming.”